Apparatus for playing duplicate whist



P.-L. BARRO WS. APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE WHIST.

(No ModeL) No. 546,572. Patented Sept. 17, I895.

NLPPIOTO UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK L. BARROWS, on IRON-WOOD, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE WHIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,572, datedSeptember 17, 1895. Application filed April 20, 1895. Serial No.546,571- tNo model.)

'Toall whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK L. BARROWS, a

Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Playing Duplicate Whist; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient devicefor preserving a hand or assortment of cards in playing 'refjou orduplicate whist.

Various devices have been heretofore employed for this purpose, the mostpopular being that known as the Kalamazoo method/. in which a tray orboard is provided with elastic bands, under which the cards are slippedafterbeing played. This device is objectionable, however, for the reasonthat the bands soon become stretched by use so as to lose theirelasticity and fail to hold the cards when being passed from one tableto another. Another device consists of a cross-shaped piece of'fiexiblematerial having a pocket on each corner or end to receive the cards.This device is not generally used, for the reason as the several pocketsmust be folded over one,

upon another it cannot be handled rapidly and when folded its bulk istoo great for con venience.

In order to overcome these objections I have provided a device in whichthe cards are held in pockets whichare arranged side by side in pairsand have a flexibleconnection between the pairs, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings; and the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of the same, as will be hereinafter described and claimed;

In the drawings just referred to, Figure 1 is a plan view of myimproveddevice, one of the pockets being empty and the other having cardstherein. Fig. 2 is a sectional View showing the devicefolded to permitthe removal or insertion of the cards; and Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewof the device folded, so as to be passed to the next table.

In carrying out my invention I employ two narrow strips of light butstiff material (such as pasteboard) A, each of which has notches B cutin one of its longer side edges. These strips A are slightly longer thantwice the length of the ordinary playing-card and about the same widthas the card. Upon each of the strips I secure the boxes or pockets 0, of

some light stifi. material, the outer edges or sides of the pocketsbeing closed, while the inner longer edges of the same are open topermit the insertion of the cards. These pockets are placed end to end,so as to bring the size of the device within the smallest practicallimits,- and each one is ofsuch a height as to just receive and holdthirteen cards, or one whist-hand.

The strips A form the back of the device and are joined by a flexibleconnection D, in which I form the openings E in alignment with andforming continuations of the notches B in the inner side edges of thestrips.

Upon the back of the device is printed or stamped a numeral F to denotethe number of the hand held by the tray, and upon the inner face of theflexible connection may be placed instructions in the use of the tray,as indicated at G. The pockets bear upon their upper sides suitablesymbols, as H, to denote the position of the tray on the table, and uponone of the pockets appears an index I to indicate the leader.

In practice the tray or board is opened and placed flat on the tablewith the pockets on "top, as will be readily understood and as shown inFig. 1. After the tray has been shifted so as to bring the several handsinto proper position before the respective players itis bent back, asshown in Fig. 2, to permit the removal of the cards. The cards areplayed in the usual manner, and after the result is scored the cards arereturned to the pockets, the tray being bent back, as shown in Fig. 2.The tray is then folded, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to entirely cover thecards and passed over to the next table or put aside to be overplayed ata future time.

The device is of an extremely simple construction and can be usedwithout inconvenience. The hands are held securely and all liability todrop the same in handling the trays is overcome. When the trays are notin use, they occupy very little room, as the pockets hold the hands inthe most compact manner possible.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A duplicate whist apparatus consisting essentially of a mediallydivided tray, and a flexible connection between the two portions of thetray, each portion of the tray carrying two pockets to receive hands ofcards and the flexible connection being provided with openings betweenthe pockets to facilitate the insertion and removal of the cards.

2. A device for playing duplicate whist consisting of two strips oflight stiff material having notches in their inner edges, a flexibleconnection between said strips having openings in alignment with saidnotches, and pockets on the inner sides of said strips adapted toreceive and hold the cards, said pockets being suitably inscribed todenote the lead and the position of the tray on the table.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. BARROWS. Witnesses:

CHARLES M. I'IUMPHREY, A. D. GARNER.

